Warm Light in a Towering Castle
by sparrowchords
Summary: First-years Ben and Leslie meet on the Hogwarts Express, launching a delightful year of growth and learning (and waffles, obviously).


Eleven-year-old Ben stared up at the Hogwarts Express, his eyes wide with wonder. He loved trains, and he had never ridden on one quite like this before—a shiny red and black with gold lettering. He had not been expecting such a fancy train to take him to school, but he thought that perhaps he should start expecting the unexpected how that he was going to start learning magic.

Ben wheeled the cart carrying his belongings to the cargo car and said goodbye to his new barn owl Frodo. That was the only goodbye he would have to make for now. His parents were at work and hadn't had time to bring him to the station, so he had taken a bus. But that was okay. He'd miss his parents, but he certainly wouldn't miss all the fighting they did.

It looked like he had arrived very early. The platform was mostly empty, but the doors to the passenger cars were open. Ben stepped up onto the train, strolling through the mostly empty seats. Only one compartment was occupied, by a girl with two blonde curly pigtails. Her lap was covered with candy, and she looked to be eating jellybeans and reading a book. Ben took a compartment a few spaces behind hers and shut the door.

The train was beautiful on the inside too, the seats cushy and comfortable. For now, it was quiet, and Ben liked that he had his own compartment, free of voices. It was perfect for reading. He reached into his backpack and pulled out _Hogwarts, a History._ This book was all he knew about his new school, all he knew about the entire world of witches and wizards.

Ben had been the only one in his family to ever receive a Hogwarts letter. He had thought over the decision for a week or so before deciding that maybe it would be nice to go away for school. Maybe there was a reason he felt different from everyone else, and maybe learning magic and becoming a wizard would make him feel like he belonged somewhere.

Before Ben could crack open his book, he heard the door of the compartment open. The blonde girl, her hands full of candy, had entered. "Hi! Can I sit with you?"

"Um…" Really, Ben had wanted to be left alone. But he didn't want to be rude, and besides, he knew (from experience) that he wasn't going to make any friends unless he made himself at least a little uncomfortable. "Sure."

The girl plopped down on the seat across from him and extended her hand. "I'm Leslie Knope!"

He shook her hand tentatively. "I'm Ben. Wyatt."

"Hi Ben! Sorry if I'm bothering you. I just wanted to make a friend and you're the only other person on the train so far. I made me and my mom get here really early because I was so excited! Is it your first year too?"

"Yes."

"Great! You can have some of my candy."

"Really? You don't mind?"

"No, I don't mind. My mom only gave me money for candy from the trolley if I said I'd share it."

"Well, thanks."

"No problem!" Leslie stood up, grabbed her candy, and sat down again right next to Ben.

He fidgeted a little in his seat. He wasn't used to girls sitting this close to him. Leslie began spreading out her candy and Ben saw something a bit out of the ordinary. "Are those chocolate…frogs?"

"Well yeah, of course!" Her mouth gaped open. "Oh! Do you come from a muggle family?"

Ben had seen that word in _Hogwarts, a History._ He believed it meant people who weren't magic. "Yes."

"Oh wow! Then I bet you don't know what any of this stuff is then. Well, I'll show you. It's all delicious." So, Leslie showed him all manner of sweets he hadn't heard of before, and they were all very delicious. Ben politely declined her offer of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"Why not? They're so good!" She asked him.

"But didn't you say there are some really bad ones in there?"

"Yeah, but that makes it more fun!"

"I don't know. I guess I kind of want to know what I'm getting if I'm going to eat candy."

Leslie shrugged. "More for me!"

Ben smiled. He could feel the train start to move as they left the platform behind.

"This is SO GOOD," Leslie said, biting into a Cauldron Cake. She slid down into her seat. "My mom doesn't let me have sweets that much. She says if she let me have all the candy I wanted my head would explode. I LOVE sugar."

"Is your mom a witch?"

"Yes! And she was the best in her class. She's already been teaching me some spells and stuff. Wanna see?"

"Sure!" Ben was eager to watch some real magic.

Leslie pulled her wand from her pocket and sat down on the floor of the compartment. She stared at the last remaining chocolate frog. _"Wingardium Leviosa,"_ she said clearly, and Ben watched as the frog began to float in midair.

"Wow," Ben told her. "That's amazing!"

"Thanks! I had to practice a lot."

"I've never done any magic before. I don't even know if I'm going to be good at it."

"Well, if you were accepted, you've got to be good! And I can tell you're smart. You're reading _Hogwarts, a History."_ Leslie picked up the book next to his backpack. She opened up to the section about the Hogwarts houses. "Ooh! What house do you think you're going to be in?"

"I'm not sure. I've thought about it a lot and—"

" _Thought_ about it a lot? I bet you're going to be in Ravenclaw then. I'm going to be in Gryffindor, just like my mom! I think I'm brave enough. No, actually I _know_ I'm brave enough."

Ben smiled again. He liked this girl. Maybe he had already made a friend.

"You have a nice smile," she told him.

Ben could feel his face turning red. "Oh…thank you, Leslie." She had a nice smile too.

"My dad had a really nice smile," she said sadly.

"Is he a wizard too?" Asked Ben.

"He was," said Leslie. "But he died."

"Oh," said Ben. "I'm sorry." Could he say something to make it better? "My parents are getting a divorce."

"That's too bad," said Leslie. They were silent for a little while, and they stared out the window. "Wait!" She said suddenly, making Ben jump. "I know what will make us feel better! Wait here."

Leslie got up and ran out of the compartment. She came back a few seconds later her backpack, which was bright pink. She sat down next to Ben and pulled a crumpled picture out of the front pocket. "This is Lil' Sebastian! He's like my favorite thing ever!"

Lil' Sebastian appeared to be a small brown pony. "You're muggle-born, so I guess you've never heard of him, right?" Ben nodded. "Well, isn't he amazing?"

"How is he moving?" In the picture, the pony was walking around, and it was like looking at a TV screen.

"Oh, pictures move in our world. But that doesn't matter, just look at him!"

"Well, he's just…standing there."

Leslie was starting to get a strange look on her face. "Yes, but…he's…he's majestic."

"Doesn't he do something?"

She stood. "He does being a mini-horse, and he does it better than anyone else," she annunciated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"He's—he's a pony."

"No, he's a mini horse!"

Leslie looked mad at him, like she was expecting something more. "I…I just don't understand why you like him so much," Ben told her, trying to explain. "He's just a pony, I don't see anything special about him."

Suddenly her face turned bright red. "You're a jerk."

"I—I'm sorry?"

"I can't believe you would say that!"

Was she serious? He hadn't meant to be mean.

"Leslie, I didn't mean—"

"Get out!"

"What?"

"I said get out of my compartment!"

"But I—I was here first and—"

"I said get out!" She yelled.

"O—okay." Ben picked up his things and left. He walked all the way to the back of his car and found a spare compartment. This time, the silence filled him with a pang of sadness. He really hadn't meant to be mean, but he knew he was right. Unless he was completely missing something, there was no reason Leslie should be so obsessed with that little pony. Still, his first attempt at friendship at Hogwarts had failed miserably.

But maybe she'd give him another chance? Surely, she couldn't be that upset. Maybe he could find her tomorrow and patch things up.

Content with this plan, Ben reached into his backpack and opened _Hogwarts, a History._

…

It was dark outside when the train finally stopped. After Ben took his backpack to the luggage car, he began following the flow of students towards a booming voice. "FIRST YEERS, THIS WAY, FIRST YEERS."

He tried to look for Leslie, but between the darkness and the crowd, it was difficult to see her. He was starting to feel overwhelmed, walking in unfamiliar robes towards an unfamiliar place in an unfamiliar crowd. But then Ben finally caught a glimpse of his new home, a towering castle, warm light pouring through its windows. He smiled. It was very beautiful, much more so than any school he had ever seen. All around him, small voices joined him in excitement.

One by one they climbed into small boats, which moved across the water by themselves with the help of magic. Before he knew it, they were walking through the front gates, then the front doors, and then at once they were in the Great Hall.

Ben had read about the Great Hall, but it was even more splendid than he'd been expecting. Thousands of candles floated from the ceiling, which produced an image of the night sky. Four long tables sat all the students, most of whom were talking excitedly. He craned his neck to try to see at the front of the room, but the heads in front of him made it impossible. Not for the first time, he wished he were just a little bit taller.

The woman who had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall led the first years between tables to the front of the Great Hall, where Ben at last spotted Albus Dumbledore, the school headmaster. He looked very old and very wise, and Ben had been expecting nothing less.

As Professor McGonagall called their names, students came up and placed the sorting hat on their heads. Even though Ben had read about the process, it was more than a little jarring to see an actual talking hat (and such a loud one, at that).

"Leslie Knope." Ben stood on his toes to try to see Leslie better as she came up front excitedly, her steps bouncing. She closed her eyes and placed the hat on her head. It didn't make its proclamation right away as it had a few times before. It looked like it was saying a few things to Leslie, who kept her eyes closed hopefully. Finally, the hat croaked, "GRYFFINDOR!" She smiled brightly as her fellow housemates cheered, and Ben found himself clapping too. He stopped when he noticed.

"Benjamin Wyatt." His name was one of the last to be called. Nervously he stepped up front and placed the hat on his head. "RAVENCLAW!"

As he stepped down to join the Ravenclaw table, he caught a look at Leslie's face. She wasn't even looking up. She was frowning, disinterested. He sighed and decided he'd try not to think about it for the rest of the night.

The food was delicious, and Ben had audibly gasped as it appeared in the table out of thin air. He wondered how long it would take for him to get used to this new world. This thought continued as his Ravenclaw prefect led him to their dormitory. The corridor was massive, staircases moving at their pleasure, every portrait stopping to stare at him.

His roommates were nice enough, and he slept very well that night. Still, just before he drifted off, he felt that twinge of apprehension he'd been feeling most of his life. _What if I'm not good? What if I'm wrong?_

…

The subjects were different, but Ben found that school was pretty much the same as it had always been for him. He sat in class, opened his book, took notes, sometimes raised his hand (sometimes). But there was a different thrill in the air now. He'd never felt anything like what he felt the first time he had correctly done a spell in Charms, the first time he had turned a match into a needle in Transfiguration. Ben had always known he could read well, write well, do math. But this was a different kind of success. A new kind of success.

It found it easy, as he always had, to fully sink into his studies. He spent most of his time in the library, finding comfort in the dusty smell. Reading until bedtime kept his mind off the not-having-any-friends situation. But as his third week at Hogwarts came to a close, it was becoming harder and harder not to think about this issue.

He had tried to apologize to Leslie. The first day of class he had had Potions with Gryffindor, and Leslie was sitting in front of him. Just before class started, he had tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, um…I feel like we kind of got off on the wrong foot yesterday. I'm sorry. I never wanted to be mean to you."

Leslie had stared at him, her eyebrows creased. "Well, you weremean. And I don't want you to talk to you again, you stupid butthead!" She had flipped around and sat back down. Giggles rung out from every corner of the room. Ben put his head down and tried not to exist.

Later that class period, they were assigned to be each other's partners in Potions for the rest of the year. Ben had perked up at that news. Maybe if she had to spend time with him, she would see how nice he really was. Leslie had slumped down next to him, promptly announcing, "Just because we have to work together doesn't mean we have to talk. Don't expect me to sit here and chit-chat with you!"

"I-I won't."

She glared at him out of the corner of her eye.

They turned out to be excellent partners, the best in the class by far. But in Ben's mind, that was because of Leslie. She was a lot better at Potions than he was, and she made it look so easy. Professor Snape scowled at her enthusiasm but often had a difficult time coming up with anything negative to say about her work.

Right after class, Ben would sometimes watch her leave. Her best friend, a quiet Hufflepuff named Ann, was often waiting for her, and they would link arms and walk together to their next class. No matter who was waiting for her, it seemed like she was never alone. Every time he saw her she was talking to someone, laughing with someone.

If he really wanted to be her friend, he should feel glad that she was happy. And he was. But it made him ache for a real friend. Someone who cared. Anyone to talk to, but there was no one, not until Andy.

Andy was a tall Hufflepuff in his Herbology class. Ben had noticed that Andy scratched his head and squinted his eyes a lot. One day after class, Ben had felt a poke on the back of his head. "Hey Ben, my name's Andy Dwyer, and I'm in that class, that class that we were just in."

"I know who you are, Andy."

"Anyways, so…I really don't even understand any of this plant stuff and you seem super good at it, so I was wondering if maybe you could help me? Just with the hard stuff. And the easy stuff and the medium stuff. All the stuff," he finished.

"Sure, I can help you."

So, he and Andy met in the library or the Great Hall nearly every night to study. First, it was just Herbology, but when Ben realized that Andy needed a lot of help in other classes too, he extended their focus until they were studying every subject. When Andy started looking for Ben outside of their study sessions, he supposed maybe he really had found a friend.

They ate lunch together and played checkers in the Great Hall (Ben winning most every game). He tried to teach Andy chess, but it didn't really take. He could never quite remember the names of the pieces and which moved where. It was fun to play matches against him anyway.

Two months after arriving at Hogwarts, Frodo the owl brought a letter from his parents. _Are you having a good year?_ The letter asked.

Ben thought over his response for the rest of the day. Was he having a good year? He had the highest grades of the first year Ravenclaws, so that was a good thing. He had made a friend. The professors seemed to like him a lot. But the thought of Leslie still made him sad, and he wasn't even sure why. He knew he should let it go. He had apologized, after all, and still, she was angry with him. But he was coming to realize, perhaps, why this was. Andy was supportive of everything Ben liked. He would listen to him talk about trains and his favorite movies and books, even if Andy didn't have any interest in what he was saying. Ben had realized that this was what friends did. He had been right about Lil' Sebastian. He didn't understand why Leslie liked him, but if he had wanted to be a good friend that day on the train, he should have just been excited for her and supported what she loved.

Things weren't getting any better between them. Leslie was at the top of the first year Gryffindors, and it seemed she was always trying to do better than him, racing to answer questions before he could get his hand up, beating him to the library after class. He wanted to tell her, " _You already are better than me. You don't have to try so hard."_

One day after Transfiguration, a class Ben had with the Hufflepuffs, Leslie's best friend Ann approached him. "Ben?"

He was surprised she would talk to him, but it was a nice surprise. "Hello, Ann."

"Hi," she said softly. "I just wanted to say that…I think you're nice. I know Leslie can be mean to you, but sometimes she holds grudges longer than she needs to. I've tried to tell her you guys should be friends. But she won't listen." She paused. "I guess that's what I wanted to say."

"Thanks, Ann," he said with a little bit of a smile. "I think you're nice too."

Ben walked outside and met Andy. "What did Ann want?" He asked.

Watching Ann and Leslie from across the corridor, Ben muttered, "Nothing."

"Who's that girl with her? You know her?"

"That's Leslie. She…we…uh…"

"Oh, you like her!"

Ben dropped his books and Andy laughed. "No, Andy. I don't—no—I don't—"

"You totally like her! Heh heh!"

Blushing, Ben picked up his books. "I know your secret bud! But that's okay, I won't tell anyone. Not even April. Well, probably April. I tell her, like, everything."

"I—I don't…like Leslie." Ben was barely even convincing himself anymore. Maybe that was why he couldn't seem to give up on her. "Even if—I mean she…hates me."

"Oh. Well, that sucks."

Ben just nodded.

"But don't give up, Ben. You didn't give up teaching me herbonomics."

"Herbology…"

"I bet she'll like you if you just keep being nice to her. Also, don't think so much."

"What do you mean?"

"You're always thinking about stuff. Maybe you should just not think about stuff so much."

"But, Andy—"

"LUDGATE!" Andy was running down the corridor to catch up with his friend April, a sullen, dark-haired Slytherin girl.

Ben sighed. He supposed he knew what Andy meant about not thinking so much. Whatever Leslie's issues with him were, thinking about her all the time certainly wasn't helping.

…

As the end of first term neared, Potions became increasingly difficult. Leslie and Ben had so far managed to hold their own well enough, but other students weren't faring as well, causing a sense of panic among the first years.

Today Professor Snape paced as the students tried to brew a Forgetfulness Potion. Usually, Leslie rambled to herself, listing off ingredients as she placed them into the cauldron. But Ben noticed she was silent today. _Maybe she's nervous,_ he thought, twisting his lips.

He was quiet too, thought that was no different than usual. He handed her the ingredients as they moved painstakingly through the brewing instructions. Ben was grinding mistletoe berries into a gooey paste when something happened. Deep blue bubbles were spreading all over their table, running onto the floor and into Ben's socks. Their cauldron had boiled over. Leslie leaped onto her stool, looking bewildered. He wanted to help but had no idea how, and Snape was already making his way towards them.

"Knope," he said, staring down at the mess. "What disaster have you created?"

"I don't know," she said shakily. "I did everything you told us to."

"You think my instructions caused this mess? That's a low insult. I expect more from you."

Leslie didn't say anything.

"You've added too many Valerian sprigs. Two is all that is needed." Still, a silence stretched over the classroom. "No smile for us, Knope?" Ben saw something like amusement in Snape's expression. It made him very mad. "I guess your delightful personality can't get you out of this one."

Ben looked over at Leslie for just a moment. Her eyes were wet, her lips pressed together.

Suddenly, he felt his bench move out from under him. "It was me," Ben heard himself say.

Snape's eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch. "Wyatt?"

He kept going. "I added four sprigs instead of two."

"Well," said Snape. "Not only did you commit an idiotic mistake, but you were going to allow your partner to take the blame for you? Ten points from Ravenclaw."

Ben heard a number of his house members groan. Snape held him in a glare and then announced, "Back to your lessons."

A quiet murmur filled the room once again. Ben sat back down. "Are you okay?" He asked Leslie.

"Yes, I'm fine," was all she said, and she began working to restart the potion.

Ben felt a pang of disappointment. He hadn't done it so she would like him again, but…

Why had he taken the blame for her? He wasn't entirely sure. Ben had stood up without even thinking about it.

 _She didn't deserve to be treated that way,_ he told himself, considering Snape. _She works harder than I do. It only makes sense I should get in trouble._

But Andy had been right. Just that instance, it had felt good to not think.

…

The next day was a Saturday. It was cold outside, so the courtyard was empty. Ben liked the quiet and the cool, clean air. He sat on the steps and shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

Behind him, he heard the door open. He hadn't expected anyone to follow him outside, so he turned to see…Leslie. He felt himself sit up a little straighter.

"What are you doing out here? It's too cold to be outside," she told him, sitting down next to him on the steps. She had on a purple winter hat and bright red tights.

"I…like the cold," was all he could think of to say. Sitting this close reminded him of that first day on the train.

"Suit yourself, I guess," she replied.

After a quiet moment, Leslie asked, "Why did you do that for me?"

"Well…I…I don't know. It's just that…you were just nervous. You didn't deserve to get in trouble."

"You didn't either."

"Yeah, but…Leslie…" Ben sighed and wished he was better at talking. "I didn't want you to get in trouble."

"Why not?"

"Because…" He might as well be honest with her. "Because I…care…about you." Not that honest. "I mean, I just…I really wish we were friends." Ben sighed. "But I know I messed up, and if you can't forgive me for that, then…I get it."

Leslie stared at him. Her eyes were blue and pretty. "I've been a jerk to you."

Ben shrugged. "I deserved it."

"That's not true," she said. "I…at first I was mad about that day on the train. But then I was jealous of you."

"Really?"

"Yes. I was jealous of how smart you are and that made me want to not like you more. But then…then I remembered how nice you are…" Her lips made a smile. "But I didn't want to say I was sorry. And then you stood up for me yesterday. And I realized I was being a butthead. So, I'm really sorry. I want to be friends with you." She held out her hand.

Ben shook it. It was cold and soft. "I want to be friends with you too," he said.

"Great!" Leslie bolted up. "You wanna go get breakfast with me? Ann said there's waffles today and my mom sent me this huge can of whipped cream!"

"That sounds amazing."

"Let's go!" Leslie grabbed his hand and they ran back inside.

* * *

 **And now, let us all conclude that Leslie and Ben grew up, got married, and had adorable and talented wizard triplets.**


End file.
